#Grappling

Brzozowska champ again; Poland, Spain share spotlight U20 Grappling Worlds

Thursday, November 6, 2025 - 12:52 By Vinay Siwach

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LOUTRAKI, Greece (November 5) -- Two weeks after winning gold at the senior World Grappling Championships, Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) was at it again as she captured gold in U20 World Grappling Championships.

Brzozowska, who led an inspiring performance from Poland, won gold in Grappling No-Gi competition and silver in Grappling Gi.

 

In the three bouts she wrestled, Brzozowska managed to dominated her opponents and capture the gold medal. In the final, she defeated Alisa GOLUB (UWW), 6-1, in a one-sided bout.

 

Her gold in Grappling No-Gi, one of the three that Poland won in Loutraki, held the country edge out Spain to finish first in the team race. Spain and Poland finished with 75 points each but the latter had three golds while Spain had none.

In Grappling Gi, Spain got the top spot with 85 points while Poland was second with 50 points.

Apart from Brzozowska, the two other gold medalists for Poland were Adrianna MAZUR (POL) and Maja SALAMON (POL) who won gold medals at 64kg and 71kg respectively.

At 49kg, Alsu GALIEVA (UWW) won the Nelson bracket to claim gold while Arina LISTOPAD (UWW) did the same at 53kg to become the world champion.

Galieva, Mazur and Salamon repeated as champions in Grappling Gi while the 53kg gold medal went to Yurima BETANCOR (ESP) who defeated Paula MARTINEZ KIM (ESP), via submission.

Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP)Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP) won the gold medal at 58kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

At 58kg, Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP) defeated Varvara MARTYNOVA (UWW), 9-0, in the final to give Spain a second gold which helped it win the team title.

Spain was dominant in the men's Grappling Gi as well, claiming the team title with 91 points, a one-point advantage over Poland which managed 90 points. Kazakhstan was third with 84 points.

For Spain, Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) and Ouassim ADREUACH IDRISSI (ESP) won gold medals at 62kg and 77kg.

Last year's U17 world champion Martin Sanchez held on to his 6-4 lead against Aindi IUSUPOV (UWW) to win a thrilling 62kg final and the gold medal. Idrissi was more dominant in the 77kg final as he submitted Ikram YERSAIYN (KAZ).

Kazakhstan's gold medal came through Akhmet IBRASHEV (KAZ) who submitted Evgenii PARAKHIN (UWW) in the 58kg final.

Poland won two gold medals as well with Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL) defeating Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP), 7-2, in the 100kg final, denying Spain another gold medal.

Patryk REKMAN (POL) denied hosts Greece a gold medal after he managed to submit Angelos ZANGELIDIS (GRE) after building a 12-3 lead in the 92kg final.

The remaining four gold medals went to UWW grapplers with Magomed IUSUPOV (UWW) winning at 66kg, Amir APPAEV (UWW) at 71kg, Shamil GUSEINOV (UWW) at 84kg and Lavrent OGANESIAN (UWW) claiming the gold at 130kg.

Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP)Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) became a double world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

In Grappling No-Gi, Ukraine outclassed Spain to win the team title with 99 points while Spain finished with 94 points. Poland was third with 90 points.

Ukraine's lone gold medal came at 84kg as Lev TSEMKO (UKR) managed to hang on to a 6-3 win over Mateusz HEBDOWSKI (POL) in the final to claim the top medal.

At 58kg, Leonid IUSUPOV (UWW) denied Ibrashev a second gold medal of the tournament after beating him 2-0 in a low scoring final.

Martin Sanchez repeated as champion at 62kg as he defeated Nikita LADYGIN (UWW), 10-2, in the final to claim his second gold medal, all at the age of 18 years. Rekman also repeated as champion after he submitted Oleh STRATIICHUK (UKR) in the 92kg final to give Poland a gold medal.

At 71kg, Mohamed YAHYAOUI (FRA) went on to claim the gold medal after beating Arslan ZHASSULAN (KAZ), 9-2, in a one-sided final.

Among UWW grapplers, Dzhamaludin MUKHAMMADBASIROV (UWW) won gold medal at 71kg, while Rustam GADZHIMURADOV (UWW) defeated Umar EMINOV (UWW), 3-2, in the 77kg final.

Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL) was denied a double gold medal as well after he lost the 100kg final, 9-0, against Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP). At 130kg, Nikita BABAEV (UWW) won the Nelson bracket to claim the gold medal.

RESULTS

U20 Men's Grappling Gi

58kg
GOLD: Akhmet IBRASHEV (KAZ) df. Evgenii PARAKHIN (UWW), via submission

BRONZE: Saulo HERNANDEZ MONTERO (ESP) df. Ali ZHAMALIDEN (KAZ), 6-2
BRONZE: Fernando CABRERA GUTIERREZ (ESP) df. Rayan BENESSALAH (FRA), 3-2

62kg
GOLD: Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) df. Aindi IUSUPOV (UWW), 6-4

BRONZE: Dmytro PRUT (UKR) df. Adam BENESSALAH (FRA), 4-4
BRONZE: Konstantinos GRAMMENOS (GRE) df. Daniel GONZALEZ (ESP), 15-4

66kg
GOLD: Magomed IUSUPOV (UWW) df. Mikhail TUKOV (UWW), via submission (4-2)

BRONZE: Ali MUKHAMBET (KAZ) df. Bakytbek MIRZABOEV (KGZ), 1-1 (overtime)
BRONZE: Alpamys USSABAYEV (KAZ) df. Gagik SAHAKYAN (ARM), 4-3

71kg
GOLD: Amir APPAEV (UWW) df. Yanis YAHYAOUI (FRA), via submission (1-0)

BRONZE: Laszlo STAGEL (HUN) df. Maksym TORCHYLO (UKR), 9-0
BRONZE: Milan LUKASZ (HUN) df. Arslan ZHASSULAN (KAZ), 2-2

77kg
GOLD: Ouassim ADREUACH IDRISSI (ESP) df. Ikram YERSAIYN (KAZ), via submission (2-0)

BRONZE: Rayane ANGELOSANTO (FRA) df. Gyorgy STAGEL (HUN), 6-3
BRONZE: Antonio HERRERA (ESP) df. Jakub KAMINSKI (POL), 6-2

84kg
GOLD: Shamil GUSEINOV (UWW) df. Ivan SHKABRII (UKR), 2-1

BRONZE: Csaba SZABO (HUN) df. Magomed ZAKRIEV (UWW), 13-2
BRONZE: Lev TSEMKO (UKR) df. Mateusz HEBDOWSKI (POL), 4-1

92kg
GOLD: Patryk REKMAN (POL) df. Angelos ZANGELIDIS (GRE), via submission (12-3)

BRONZE: Arsenii ERMAKOV (UWW) df. Yestemir KENZHEGALI (KAZ), via submission
BRONZE: Karim ADEM (FRA) df. Bator MOLNAR (HUN), 11-4

100kg
GOLD: Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL) df. Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP), 7-2

130kg
GOLD: Lavrent OGANESIAN (UWW) df. Nikodem KOWAL (POL), 6-1

U20 Women's Grappling Gi

49kg
GOLD: Alsu GALIEVA (UWW) 
SILVER: Julia BELTRAN MARUENDA (ESP)
BRONZE: Adriana MARTINEZ KIM (ESP)

53kg
GOLD: Yurima BETANCOR (ESP) df. Paula MARTINEZ KIM (ESP), via submission (0-2)

58kg
GOLD: Angelica NIETO SANTOS (ESP) df. Varvara MARTYNOVA (UWW), 9-0

BRONZE: Alisa GOLUB (UWW) df. Iris GARCIA (ESP), via submission (2-2)

64kg
GOLD: Adrianna MAZUR (POL)
SILVER: Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL)
BRONZE: Anabel PEREZ SCHMIELEWSKI (ESP)

71kg
GOLD: Maja SALAMON (POL)
SILVER: Sofiia ZHENEVSKA (UKR)
BRONZE: Zhasmin KAIRAT (KAZ)

U20 Men's Grappling No-Gi

58kg
GOLD: Leonid IUSUPOV (UWW) df. Akhmet IBRASHEV (KAZ), 2-0

BRONZE: Saulo HERNANDEZ MONTERO (ESP) df. Askhab GAISAEV (UWW), 5-2
BRONZE: Sargis VIRABYAN (ARM) df. Zalan KEKESI (HUN), 3-0

62kg
GOLD: Jose MARTIN SANCHEZ (ESP) df. Nikita LADYGIN (UWW), 10-2

BRONZE: Andrii TSVYK (UKR) df. Levente VARKONDI (HUN), 6-2
BRONZE: Aindi IUSUPOV (UWW) df. Daniel GONZALEZ (ESP), via submission (9-2)

66kg
GOLD: Dzhamaludin MUKHAMMADBASIROV (UWW) df. Moussa DIOUMASSI (FRA), 15-0

BRONZE: Ali MUKHAMBET (KAZ) df. Gagik SAHAKYAN (ARM), 4-2
BRONZE: Vadym SIROSHTAN (UKR) df. Bakytbek MIRZABOEV (KGZ), via submission (9-7)

71kg
GOLD: Mohamed YAHYAOUI (FRA) df. Arslan ZHASSULAN (KAZ), 9-2

BRONZE: Bilel BOULAMA (FRA) df. Lucian BRAI (MDA), via submission
BRONZE: Milan LUKASZ (HUN) df. Alvaro MEDINA (ESP), 6-2

77kg
GOLD: Rustam GADZHIMURADOV (UWW) df. Umar EMINOV (UWW), 3-2

BRONZE: Rayane ANGELOSANTO (FRA) df. Maksymilian KUSZAK (POL), 7-2
BRONZE: Ouassim ADREUACH IDRISSI (ESP) df. Andrii SOFRONII (UKR), 5-4

84kg
GOLD: Lev TSEMKO (UKR) df. Mateusz HEBDOWSKI (POL), 6-3

BRONZE: Shamil GUSEINOV (UWW) df. Shynggyskhan ABDIROV (KAZ), via submission (7-0)
BRONZE: Ivan SHKABRII (UKR) df. Ilyas ABDULLAYEV (KAZ), 12-6

92kg
GOLD: Patryk REKMAN (POL) df. Oleh STRATIICHUK (UKR), via submission (8-1)

BRONZE: Christos SERMIAS (GRE) df. Ion SILI (MDA), via submission (5-0)
BRONZE: Karim ADEM (FRA) df. Yestemir KENZHEGALI (KAZ), 5-2

100kg
GOLD: Rodrigo BLANCO TERAN (ESP) df. Leon KURCZYNSKI (POL), 9-0

130kg
GOLD: Nikita BABAEV (UWW) 
SILVER: Lavrent OGANESIAN (UWW)
BRONZE: Nikodem KOWAL (POL)

U20 Women's Grappling No-Gi

49kg
GOLD: Alsu GALIEVA (UWW)
SILVER: Julia BELTRAN MARUENDA (ESP)
BRONZE: Lyubov TEMNIKOVA (KAZ)

53kg
GOLD: Arina LISTOPAD (UWW)
SILVER: Paula MARTINEZ KIM (ESP)
BRONZE: Yurima BETANCOR (ESP) 

58kg
GOLD: Daria BRZOZOWSKA (POL) df. Alisa GOLUB (UWW), 6-1

BRONZE: Angelica NIETO (ESP) df. Safiya UALIAKHMETOVA (KAZ), via submission (2-0)
BRONZE: Iris GARCIA (ESP) df. Maria BARNA (POL), via walkover

64kg
GOLD: Adrianna MAZUR (POL)
SILVER: Anabel PEREZ (ESP)
BRONZE: Kitti BALJER (HUN)

71kg
GOLD: Maja SALAMON (POL)
SILVER: Sofiia ZHENEVSKA (UKR)
BRONZE: Zhasmin KAIRAT (KAZ)

#WrestleZagreb

Zagreb Open: Six Paris medalists in action; Blades drops to 68kg

Saturday, February 1, 2025 - 17:26 By Vinay Siwach

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ZAGREB, Croatia (February 1) -- With a couple of factors determining her decision, Kennedy BLADES (USA) will be moving down to 68kg, six months after winning the Olympic silver medal at 76kg in Paris.

Blades will make her 68kg debut at next week's Zagreb Open which coincides with her college wrestling season in which she wrestles at 160 pounds (around 72kg).

"Since I am in the middle of the college wrestling season and I am close to the weight (160lbs), I wanted to see how I felt," Blades told UWW.

Zagreb Open has a two-kilogram weight allowance and Blades revealed that she weighs around 72kg-73kg which makes it ideal for her to wrestle at 68kg in Zagreb. Even in Paris, Blades was wrestling under 76kg.

"I was naturally 2-4 kilograms under 76kg," she said. "So I wanted to see how I feel at my natural weight. Depending on how I feel, I'll determine if I want  to stay at 68kg or go back to 76kg."

Over her international career, Blades has never wrestled below 69kg, winning gold at the U17 Pan-Am Championships in 2018. She moved to 73kg for the U17 World Championships a year later and 72kg for the U20 World Championships in 2021. For her senior debut, Blades moved up to 76kg for the Henri Deglane in 2023 and competed at all tournaments for two years at that weight.

At 68kg in Zagreb, Blades will have to face a few long-timers.

World silver medalist from 2023 Delgermaa ENKHSAIKHAN (MGL) and world bronze medalist Adela HANZLICKOVA (CZE) will be her biggest challenge. Former Asian silver medalist RADHIKA (IND) is also in the mix.

The United States will bring a solid team in Women's Wrestling with Blades, former world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA), Michaela BECK (USA), Sofia MACALUSO (USA), Skylar GROTE (USA) and Yelena MAKOYED (USA).

PRIYA (IND)PRIYA (IND) is a U20 world champion. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

India has a full squad going to Zagreb with a few young stars. Former U17 and U20 world champion PRIYA (IND) will be at 76kg, along with Asian medalist MANISHA (IND).

Azerbaijan will be pinning hopes on its first-ever U23 world champion in Women's Wrestling Zhala ALIYEVA (AZE) to shine in the 57kg which also has Olga KHOROSHAVTSEVA (AIN), Ramona GALAMBOS (HUN) and TAPSYA (IND). It also has Elnura MAMMADOVA (AZE), Hiunai HURBANOVA (AZE) and Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE) wrestling in Zagreb.

Paris Olympian Bilyana DUDOVA (BUL) will be at 62kg a week after winning the Dan Kolov tournament in Varna. She will face challenges from Ameline DOUARRE (FRA), Nikolett SZABO (HUN), Bhagyashree FAND (IND) and Adaugo NWACHUKWU (USA).

Freestyle

A battle of two Olympic medalists at 57kg is on the cards as Spencer LEE (USA) and AMAN (IND) are registered for the tournament. Lee won a silver medal at the Paris Games while Aman came home with a bronze medal.

While these two are the biggest achievers in the field, former European champion Azamat TUSKAEV (SRB) will pose a significant challenge as he continues to find his space since he changed his nationality to Serbia. Paris Olympian Roman BRAVO YOUNG (MEX) is also in the fray, giving a mouth-watering clash for the U.S. fans between him and Lee.

Iran is debuting Ahora KHATERI (IRI) at the senior level. He won the 2023 U17 World Championships at 45kg but moved to 60kg in one year and finished eighth at the U17 World Championships in 2024.

Iran's struggle at the lower weights has continued over a decade now and Khateri is touted as the most promising of the new lot. It is also trying its new batch at 61kg, sending Ahmad JAVAN (IRI), Ebrahim KHARI (IRI) and Reza Hossein MOMENI (IRI) to Zagreb.

But the star of the Iran line-up will be Amirreza MASOUMI (IRI) who won the U20 and U23 World Championships gold medals at 125kg. He is likely to go unchallenged in Zagreb but the field includes Solomon MANASHVILI (GEO), Hayden ZILLMER (USA) and Mason PARRIS (USA) to name a few.

More closely contested battles will be on display at 92kg as Aaron BROOKS (USA) moves up from 86kg, a weight class he won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. He will have his hands full with Asian champion Amirhossein FIROUZPOUR (IRI) and former U20 world champion Mohammadmobin AZIMI (IRI).

World silver medalist Miriani MAISURADZE (GEO) will be among the favorites for the gold along with former world silver medalist and Paris Olympian Osman NURMAGOMEDOV (AZE) who is returning to 92kg and will be joined by compatriot Abubakr ABAKAROV (AZE). Boris MAKOEV (SVK) is also listed at 92kg for the competition.

Former Olympic and world champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) will kick off his season in Zagreb and hope to reclaim the gold he lost in 2024 to Amirali AZARPIRA (IRI). The field at 97kg is a little thin but still has Abolfazl BABALOO (IRI), Radu LEFTER (MDA) and Batyrbek TSAKULOV (SVK) among others.

Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN)Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) is entered at 70kg for the Zagreb Open. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

2023 world champion Iszmail MUSZUKAJEV (HUN) is entered at 70kg. He finished fifth at the same tournament in 2023 but will be the most experienced wrestler in the field this year. He will have a few known rivals in the field including James GREEN (USA), Alec PANTALEO (USA) and Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE).

Iran has gone with 2022 U17 world champion Ebrahim ELAHI (IRI) and Sina KHALILI (IRI), a 2023 U17 world champion who finished seventh at the World Championships in Tirana last year.

Greco-Roman

Azerbaijan is all out with their Greco-Roman team in the first Ranking Series of the year. Three recent world champions, Eldaniz AZIZLI (AZE), Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) and Uvli GANIZADE (AZE) are part of a 22-member strong squad that also has Paris Olympic bronze medalist Hasrat JAFAROV (AZE), Tokyo bronze medalist Rafig HUSEYNOV (AZE), Sanan SULEYMANOV (AZE) among other younger stars.

Jafarov will be back in action at 67kg and hopes to start his season on a high. The wrestlers trying to stop him include teenager Mohammadreza GHOLAMI (IRI) and U20 world champion Ahmadreza MOHSEN NEZHAD (IRI). The field also has former world champion Sebastian NAD (SRB) and Morten THORESEN (NOR).

At 60kg, defending champion Sadyk LALAEV (AIN) leads the field, followed by Mammadli, the newly crowned world champion at 63kg. However, as Azerbaijan's first choice at the Olympic weight class, he is moving down to 60 kg. Paris Olympian Georgij TIBILOV (SRB) is also entered, along with U23 world champion Alisher GANIEV (UZB), who is known for his big moves.

Ulvu GANIZADE (AZE) will face a tough challenge from the Iranian duo of Danial SOHRABI (IRI) and Tokyo Olympic champion Mohammadreza GERAEI (IRI). World champion Ganizade is the defending champion at 72kg but Geraei will be keen on getting on top of the podium at an international event, a feat he hasn't achieved since winning gold at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup in June 2022. Sohrabi too has blown hot and cold since winning gold at the U23 World Championships in 2022.

Alexandrin GUTU (MDA)Zagreb Open will be a big test for Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) at 77kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

The two of the highly competitive weight classes in Greco-Roman are 77kg and 87kg and the Zagreb Open will be no different.

At 77kg, Sergei KUTUZOV (AIN) will be back in action, facing a few of the mainstays of this weight class. Suleymanov will be looking to shake off his disappointment of missing a medal in Paris with a better showing in Zagreb.

But there are a few challenges. Paris Olympians Amin KAVIYANI (IRI) and Aram VARDANYAN (UZB) are competing in Zagreb and so is Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) who continues to build his profile. Gutu narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Paris Olympics but is one of the most dynamic wrestlers in the weight class. Surprisingly, former U17 world champion and Gutu's teammate Alexandru SOLOVEI (MDA) is also at 77kg.

Hungary has also sent Robert FRITSCH (HUN) and Zoltan LEVAI (HUN) at 77kg while Jonni SARKKINEN (FIN) is a dark horse.

Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN)Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) is likely to have his Olympic bronze-medal bout rematch against David LOSONCZI (HUN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

The 87kg weight class will see Paris bronze medalist Turpal BISULTANOV (DEN) and a few other Paris Olympians as well. Bisultanov may have a rematch of his bronze-medal bout against David LOSONCZI (HUN) who is one of three Hungarian wrestlers entered. Tamas LEVAI (HUN) and Istvan TAKACS (HUN) will also try to claim their stake for the spot on the Hungarian national team in this weight class.

Aues GONIBOV (AIN) and Milad ALIRZAEV (AIN) are the two neutral athletes with decorated resumes. Former world champion Huseynov is also entered along with Ivan HUKLEK (CRO), Naser ALIZADEH (IRI), Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ), Marcel STERKENBURG (NED), Exauce MUKUBU (NOR), Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB) and Jalgasbay BERDIMURATOV (UZB).